Opponents submit petitions to put Royal Oak human rights law on ballot

ROYAL OAK -- Human rights law opponents said they turned in 1,226 signatures Tuesday of residents wanting to put the issue of banning discrimination based on sexual orientation, HIV status and other characteristics to a city-wide vote.

Opponents submitted 480 more signatures than the number needed to put the question on the Nov. 5 ballot. They also beat the deadline by a day.

The City Clerk's Office now has to validate the signatures.

"We had no trouble at all getting people to sign. I was turning them away," said Fred Birchard, a Royal Oak resident who led the fight against a similar ordinance proposal in 2001.

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Birchard said he hopes the City Commission simply will drop the matter rather than put Royal Oak through a controversial campaign that he predicts will spill over into candidate races.

Mayor Jim Ellison and City Commissioners Jim Rasor and Pat Capello are up for re-election in November.

"They all voted for it and they will risk the wrath of the people," Birchard said.

The mayor said he is more concerned about national human rights foes and supporters waging an ugly battle in Royal Oak than his political future.

"I have always served at the will of the people," said Ellison, who is seeking his sixth two-year term as mayor. "I will continue to vote my conscience. I think the citizens of Royal Oak are ready for this."

On March 4, the mayor and city commission voted 6-1 to pass a human rights ordinance that protects a wide range of people, including gays, lesbians, bisexuals and transgenders, from being denied housing, employment and public business services. Violations would have been a civil infraction punishable by a fine up to $500 plus the cost of the investigation by the Royal Oak Police Department and prosecution.

However, Birchard stopped the ordinance from going into effect March 14 after turning in enough signatures of people saying their intent is to get a referendum on the ballot.

City Clerk Melanie Halas said she should know Wednesday if there at least 746 valid petition signatures to put the question to a vote of the people.

"We have just started the verifying process," she said Tuesday afternoon.

At an upcoming meeting, the commission will have to decide whether it will drop the proposed ordinance or put it on the ballot.

"I won't vote to drop it," Rasor said. "I look forward to having the voters speak on the issue. I have no doubt they will affirm equal rights and equality and fairness in Royal Oak."

Rasor predicts the city's voters will pass a human rights law by a 2:1 margin.

"In Michigan, 56 percent of the people support gay marriage and 2:1 support equal rights," he said. "The specter that somehow Royal Oak voters wouldn't, too, is very foreign to me. Royal Oak is a very diverse, youthful, cosmopolitan city. I think Mr. Birchard is on the wrong side of history and lives in a world where it's OK to hate."